Destroyers
The Destroyers were gaijin creatures that attacked Rokugan in the Destroyer War. Myth The Destroyers, the Destroyers Horde, were known by the jackal from legends and myths which had been passed down for countless centuries. They did not know what was really truth. Story Rulebook, (Path of the Destroyer) Raise of Kali-Ma In the late 12th century the Cult of Ruhmal conducted a ritual which allowed Kali-Ma, the Destroyer, to achieve ascendance. Nine tenths of the entire population of the Ivory Kingdoms was sacrificed to her, their souls imprisoned in metallic shells to create a vast army of demonic monsters, the Destroyers. Second City - The City, p. 4 Ironclad, Rank and File The basic destroyer warrior formed in flawless ranks, encased from head to toe in seamless metal armor. Each warrior bore four arms, two carrying weapons, and two with metallic talons adorning each inhuman finger. The faces crafted into that armor were hideous beyond all reckoning, and behind them burned some sinister light that cast a glow about the eyes and mouths. The Burning Wall, Part 2, by Shawn Carman Their blood was black, and they were usually silent, but capable to speak in a gaijin language. The Harbinger, by Shawn Carman They had no eyes, but still remained fully aware of the events around them. Darling of the Season, by Lucas Twyman The cold reduced their abilities. The Dead of Winter, Part 1, by Shawn Carman They were commonly known as the "ironclad", which normally fought in tightly-knit units. The Destroyer War, Part 2, by Shawn Carman & Lucas Twyman little more than kansen-inhabited suits of armor, bound by some dark ritual performed by Yuna or perhaps Kali-Ma herself. Imperial Histories 2, p. 266 Every time one of the creatures was killed with magic, as a side effect of undoing the dark ritual that had imprisoned the mystical energy within the metal shell, they made a death-scream which was nearly too much to bear for the shugenja. The Destroyer War, Part 8, by Shawn Carman & Nancy Sauer The Rokugani shugenja learned it in the hard way. The Destroyer War, Part 12, by Shawn Carman Elite A similar destroyer but larger, and bearing six arms instead of four, was the Honor Guard of the Rakshasa General. Scouts The Destroyers scouts were like the ironclads, but smaller, thinner, and smarter. The Destroyer War, Part 6, by Shawn Carman This variant were more well-trained creatures obeying the orders of human masters, and wore ornately armor The State of the Empire 10 of golden color. Ashalan They were also reported another blue hued beings in the ranks of the Destroyers. They were seen in the last part of the War. These destroyers wore a ward in the thing's throat and a blue ashalan mark in the heart. If the ward was removed the being regained their will and usually attacked the ones still controlled by Kali-Ma. The Destroyer War, Part 13, by Shawn Carman Several Ashalan were under the command of the Destroyer. The Destroyer War, Part 14, by Shawn Carman Destroyers, Leaders of the Horde The leaders and elites of Kali-Ma's army were the half-bestial, half-human demons known specifically as Destroyers. These creatures possessed self-will to at least some degree, leading the Ironclad squads. When commanders were killed, their Ironclads stopped pursuing specific tactics and simply tried to destroy any Rokugani they met. Kali-Ma's Elite Guard The Kali-Ma's Elite Guard were rampaging creatures, built with giant bodies like those of men, but with the heads and features of animals. Tigers, elephants, and other things no Rokugani had ever seen were among them. Blood & Shadow, Part 2, by Rusty Priske and Shawn Carman They walked on two legs, as tall as four men, with large ears, powerful tusks, and long, strange noses from which they could sound the most horrifying, shrill battle cries. Their flesh was like hardened leather. They could be damaged more easily than the ironclads but they healed with amazing speed. The Destroyer War, Part 9, by Shawn Carman They could ran very fast on all four legs. The elphantine ones were called pacharmus. The Destroyer War, Part 11, by Shawn Carman In 1173 they fought near Kashi Mura against the forces of the shogun and suffered a heavy toll. Centuriae Other such elite units included the mysterious Centuriae, who appeared to have been created from captured Yodotai. Other beings Other creatures were like giant oni of red and ivory with a nearly invisible hanging tail, which oozed gas out, killing those who contacted with the vapors, falling into rotted corpses in an instant. Blood & Shadow, Part 1, by Brian Yoon Jinn Sightings of Jinn, the children of the smokeless fire, were also reported by the Rokugani. God-Beast spawns The God Beast of Kali-Ma summoned serpentine creatures heavily armored carapaces protecting their upper body and two long, insectile arms with claws that seemed more like blades, and with a terrible maw. Wrath of the God-Beast, Part 1, by Shawn Carman Their attacks were made with a repetitive pattern, and secreted some sort of poison or other substance that entered the wound and caused a high levels of distress. Scenes from the Empire 13, by Rusty Priske and Shawn Carman Known Weaknesses The jade affected the Destroyers, but not as severely as it should. Hiruma Hidora (Path of the Destroyer flavor) Defeat In 1173 Kali-Ma was defeated and killed. Some simply collapsed in the wake of her death, unable to sustain themselves as individuals. Others cast about fodder for the vengeful armies of the humans. Most fled in disarray. Rulebook story (Forgotten Legacy), by Shawn Carman and Rusty Priske The Empire did not have the horses and the blades to stop their escape, but they ensured that their path took them back past the Kaiu Wall. Aftermath, Part 3, by Rusty Priske See also * Destroyer/Meta Category:Ivory Kingdoms *